To effectively and efficiently provide control information, a broadcast pointer channel (BPCH) may be used to identify the type and perhaps relative location of control information that is being provided in a given frame structure, such as a sub-frame, frame, or superframe. A sub-frame (or like framing entity, such a frame or superframe) may have a BPCH and a corresponding system control information segment in which control information may reside. The system control information segment may have any number of control information blocks, wherein each control information block that is present may correspond to a particular type of control information. The BPCH is used to identify the type of control information that is present in a corresponding system control information segment, and if needed or desired, the relative locations of the various control information.
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1. A mobile station comprising: one or more antennas; and a transceiver coupled to the one or more antennas, and configured to receive signals on a plurality of carriers, wherein the transceiver is further configured to: read resource allocation information and a carrier identifier from a first carrier of the carriers, wherein the carrier identifier indicates a second carrier of the carriers, wherein the resource allocation information indicates resources allocated for the mobile station in a particular resource partition of the second carrier; recover transmitted data from the particular resource partition of the second carrier using the resource allocation information.
A mobile device with antennas and a receiver/transmitter is designed to receive signals across multiple carriers. The device reads resource allocation information AND a carrier identifier from a FIRST carrier. This carrier identifier specifically points to a SECOND carrier. This resource allocation information tells the mobile device what resources are allocated to it within a specific partition on the SECOND carrier. The mobile device then uses this resource allocation information to retrieve transmitted data from that allocated partition on the SECOND carrier. Effectively, control information on one carrier indicates where to find data on another carrier.
2. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to: read resource partitioning information for the second carrier, wherein the resource partitioning information defines a plurality of partitions of the second carrier, wherein the plurality of partitions includes the particular resource partition.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the device also reads resource partitioning information related to the SECOND carrier. This resource partitioning information defines how the SECOND carrier is divided into multiple resource partitions, one of which is the specific resource partition used for data transmission. This allows the mobile device to understand the structure of the second carrier and locate its allocated resources within it.
3. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein each of the carriers includes synchronization channels.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, each carrier used by the mobile device includes synchronization channels. This ensures that the mobile device can properly synchronize its timing and frequency with each carrier, regardless of whether it's the first carrier used for control information or the second carrier used for data.
4. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to: for one or more of the carriers, measure channel quality information (CQI) of the carrier, and transmit the CQI to a base station.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the mobile device measures the channel quality (CQI) for one or more of the carriers being used. This measured channel quality information is then transmitted back to a base station. This allows the base station to adapt its transmission parameters based on the channel conditions of each carrier as seen by the mobile device.
5. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to: measure channel quality information (CQI) of the second carrier; and transmit the CQI on the second carrier to a base station.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the mobile device measures the channel quality information (CQI) specifically for the SECOND carrier (the carrier carrying the data based on the first carrier's instruction). This CQI is then transmitted back to a base station, and the transmission occurs on the SECOND carrier itself. This provides feedback on the data-carrying channel quality directly on that channel.
6. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a first channel quality information on the first carrier and transmit a second channel quality information on the second carrier, wherein the first channel quality information is quality information for the first carrier, wherein the second channel quality information is quality information for the second carrier.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the mobile device transmits channel quality information (CQI) for BOTH the FIRST carrier and the SECOND carrier. The CQI transmitted on the first carrier provides quality information about the first carrier and the CQI transmitted on the second carrier provides quality information about the second carrier. This allows the base station to have independent channel quality assessments for both the control and data carriers.
7. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to: send ACK/NACK feedback to a base station on the second carrier, wherein said ACK/NACK feedback indicates positive or negative acknowledgement of receipt of the transmitted data from said resources of the particular resource partition.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the mobile device sends ACK/NACK feedback to the base station ON the SECOND carrier. This feedback acknowledges whether the data transmitted from the allocated resources of that particular partition on the second carrier was successfully received or not. The feedback mechanism happens on the same carrier as the data transmission.
8. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to: monitor only one of the carriers when the mobile station is in an idle mode.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, when the mobile device is in an idle mode (not actively transmitting or receiving data), it only monitors ONE of the carriers. This reduces power consumption compared to continuously monitoring all available carriers.
9. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to: for a retransmission of data: read a second carrier identifier from the first carrier, wherein the second carrier identifier identifies a given one of the plurality of carriers; and read one or more HARQ retransmissions of the transmitted data from the given carrier.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, for a retransmission of data, the mobile device reads a SECOND carrier identifier from the FIRST carrier. This second carrier identifier indicates a specific carrier from the available set. Then the device reads one or more HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) retransmissions of the data from the identified carrier. This enables retransmissions to occur on potentially different carriers than the initial transmissions.
10. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein said reading the resource allocation information and the carrier identifier includes reading the resource allocation information and the carrier identifier from a unicast message on the first carrier.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the act of reading the resource allocation information and the carrier identifier from the first carrier involves reading this information from a unicast message sent on that first carrier. Therefore, the control information is sent directly to the mobile device instead of broadcasting to all devices.
11. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the first carrier carries system-wide static physical-layer control information, wherein the second carrier does not carry system-wide static physical-layer control information.
In addition to the mobile device described previously, the FIRST carrier is characterized by carrying system-wide, static physical-layer control information. The SECOND carrier, on the other hand, does NOT carry this type of system-wide, static physical-layer control information. This implies the first carrier serves as a primary control channel while the second carrier focuses on data transmission.
12. A method for operating a mobile station, wherein the mobile station is configured to receive signals on a plurality of carriers, the method comprising: reading, by the mobile station, resource allocation information and a carrier identifier from a first carrier of the carriers, wherein the carrier identifier indicates a second carrier of the carriers, wherein the resource allocation information indicates resources allocated for the mobile station in a particular resource partition of the second carrier; recovering, by the mobile station, transmitted data from the particular resource partition of the second carrier using the resource allocation information.
A method for a mobile device receiving signals across multiple carriers involves reading resource allocation information and a carrier identifier from a FIRST carrier. The carrier identifier points to a SECOND carrier. The resource allocation information indicates resources allocated to the mobile device within a specific partition on the SECOND carrier. The mobile device then retrieves transmitted data from that allocated partition on the SECOND carrier using the resource allocation information. Effectively, control information on one carrier indicates where to find data on another carrier.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: reading resource partitioning information for the second carrier, wherein the resource partitioning information defines a plurality of partitions of the second carrier, wherein the plurality of partitions includes the particular resource partition.
In addition to the method described previously, the method involves reading resource partitioning information related to the SECOND carrier. This resource partitioning information defines how the SECOND carrier is divided into multiple resource partitions, one of which is the specific resource partition used for data transmission. This allows the mobile device to understand the structure of the second carrier and locate its allocated resources within it.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the carriers includes synchronization channels.
In addition to the method described previously, each carrier used by the mobile device includes synchronization channels. This ensures that the mobile device can properly synchronize its timing and frequency with each carrier, regardless of whether it's the first carrier used for control information or the second carrier used for data.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: for one or more of the carriers, measure channel quality information (CQI) of the carrier, and transmit the CQI to a base station.
In addition to the method described previously, the method includes measuring the channel quality (CQI) for one or more of the carriers being used. This measured channel quality information is then transmitted back to a base station. This allows the base station to adapt its transmission parameters based on the channel conditions of each carrier as seen by the mobile device.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: measuring channel quality information (CQI) of the second carrier; and transmitting the CQI on the second carrier to a base station.
In addition to the method described previously, the method involves measuring the channel quality information (CQI) specifically for the SECOND carrier (the carrier carrying the data based on the first carrier's instruction). This CQI is then transmitted back to a base station, and the transmission occurs on the SECOND carrier itself. This provides feedback on the data-carrying channel quality directly on that channel.
17. A non-transitory memory medium for operating a mobile station that is configured to receive signals on a plurality of carriers, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement: reading, by the mobile station, resource allocation information and a carrier identifier from a first carrier of the carriers, wherein the carrier identifier indicates a second carrier of the carriers, wherein the resource allocation information indicates resources allocated for the mobile station in a particular resource partition of the second carrier; recovering, by the mobile station, transmitted data from the particular resource partition of the second carrier using the resource allocation information.
A non-transitory computer memory medium stores instructions for a mobile device that receives signals across multiple carriers. The instructions, when executed, cause the mobile device to read resource allocation information and a carrier identifier from a FIRST carrier. The carrier identifier points to a SECOND carrier. The resource allocation information indicates resources allocated to the mobile device within a specific partition on the SECOND carrier. The mobile device then retrieves transmitted data from that allocated partition on the SECOND carrier using the resource allocation information.
18. The memory medium of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further implement: reading resource partitioning information for the second carrier, wherein the resource partitioning information defines a plurality of partitions of the second carrier, wherein the plurality of partitions includes the particular resource partition.
In addition to the memory medium described previously, the stored instructions further cause the mobile device to read resource partitioning information related to the SECOND carrier. This resource partitioning information defines how the SECOND carrier is divided into multiple resource partitions, one of which is the specific resource partition used for data transmission. This allows the mobile device to understand the structure of the second carrier and locate its allocated resources within it.
19. The memory medium of claim 17 , wherein each of the carriers includes synchronization channels.
In addition to the memory medium described previously, each carrier used by the mobile device includes synchronization channels. This ensures that the mobile device can properly synchronize its timing and frequency with each carrier, regardless of whether it's the first carrier used for control information or the second carrier used for data.
20. The memory medium of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further implement: for one or more of the carriers, measure channel quality information (CQI) of the carrier, and transmit the CQI to a base station.
In addition to the memory medium described previously, the stored instructions further cause the mobile device to measure the channel quality (CQI) for one or more of the carriers being used. This measured channel quality information is then transmitted back to a base station. This allows the base station to adapt its transmission parameters based on the channel conditions of each carrier as seen by the mobile device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 28, 2015
June 20, 2017
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